I was super disappointed that this place would sell these seats. This is the view from a 4 top table. Total rip off and the crap part is they knew this area has zero view. F this place! read more

The Criterion - This is the seat they sold - zero view - Music Venues Near Me - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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The venue left much to be desired. We attended a comedy show and sat on the second level, where the seating was so cramped that one person near us had to sit sideways to fit. Our view was largely obstructed by the two rows ahead of us, making it difficult to enjoy the show. It would have been better if the performance had also been displayed on the two large screens. Parking lot next to Criterion is $20 if you pay cash or $30 if you pay online, according to the parking attendant. Thankfully we had cash! I've heard from others that attended concerts here they often feel over crowded and suffer from poor acoustics. Based on this and my experience, I hope not to attend another show at this venue. Why two stars? While the drinks were overpriced ($40 for two drinks), the bartenders were friendly, and the check-in process was smooth and efficient. read more

This is a pretty cool little venue. It's chaotic when at capacity. And they close the bars super quickly. I also think tickets are overpriced for quality of venue. read more

The vip seat was next to someone who should be required to buy two seats. There was a smell of funk all night the sound is poor humming buzzing not as loud other venues and a lot of feedback gave off the impression of an lazy amatuer show read more

Great place for comedy, clean . Bar is expensive.. $20 per drink but good venue and constant talent

Parking is outrageous, seats are extremely uncomfortable and restrooms close before event is over!

Decent venue that consistently books solid acts. They tend to oversell the bigger shows which leads to the general admission area being far too crowded. Temperature control is substandard leading to heat casualties in the crowd. Acoustics for musical acts is atrocious anywhere but on the floor in front of the stage. Bar service does the best they can when the crowds are large. read more

The lounge seats are not worth it!!! There is no room. They are misleading, the view is obstructed, the tables are so close together they are basically touching. The "exclusive" service is not worth it. You pay a lot of money to have room and a good view but the lounge area is not worth they money at all. read more

There's a parking lot directly south of the Criterion, which was $8 to park the night we went, and a quick walk to the venue. The security was fast, efficient and friendly. They looked inside bags and then you walk through a metal detector. The drinks were outrageously priced. $14 for a can of beer and around $20 for a mixed drink. There were multiple bars and bartenders so it was extremely fast each and every time. No food. If you are in the upper section, large parts of the stage and especially the big screen above the stage are blocked by huge speakers. Overall, I thought it was pretty nice, not as bad as many of the reviews. read more

The Criterion - Upper section AA - Music Venues Near Me - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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Saw Death Cab here. The venue is pretty nice. Pretty well laid out. The parking situation is pretty terrible but manageable. Sound quality at the start of the show has some issues, but I'm not sure if that was a venue issue or not. The balcony is nice and for the show I went to had seating which was enjoyable. Definitely one of the best smaller venues in OKC. I'd go back to see another show. read more

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Super great place!! Went there to see Pierce the Veil during an I Prevail tour! I'd definitely go again, they also have drinks as well, non alcoholic and alcoholic. read more

The Criterion - Stage - Music Venues Near Me - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

My experience at that small music venue where Kevin Gates was forced to perform left much to be desired. The choice of the venue itself was questionable, as it clearly lacked the capacity and amenities needed for a high-profile artist like Kevin Gates. The cramped space and subpar acoustics did no justice to his performance. It's a shame that Gates was compelled to play there, and it tarnished what could have been a much better concert experience. Nachos for food wow. read more

We got two drinks and the total was $48 plus tip. The rows were so close together that people could not get into their seats without half the row having to empty into the aisle, which was really distracting. The previous time I had tickets to this venue, the artist cancelled. It took them months of hounding to receive a refund. It would have to be the show of a lifetime to get me into this venue again. read more

Expensive parking, crappy acoustics, smells like a lot farm, and mediocre music. Not to mention you are standing all night because not a single place to sit in the entire venue. Skip it unless you like paying a lot of money for a bad time. read more

I was lucky enough to attend one of The Flaming Lips bubble concerts here recently and honestly I cannot tell you much about this venue since I walked in the door, showed my ticket, got into our bubble, and didn't get back out until the show was over. I will say the staff went above and beyond to make this show a huge success for all who were there. While I'm sure it was a massive undertaking to organize and facilitate the logistics that this type of concert necessitated, especially during a pandemic that has completely halted concert going for way too long, they NAILED it! Say what you will (for anyone reading who was there) but they worked through the entry and exit process as smoothly as you should expect anyone to have done. Every staff/volunteer/security person we encountered was friendly and understanding and did their best. The bubble experience was other worldly to say the least! I am not sure how to even describe to you how it felt to be experiencing live music again after so long. The Flaming Lips were AMAZING and super appreciative of everyone, including the venue, for being there and cooperating and everything else related to that evening. No alcohol was served, for obvious reasons, so I can't speak to any concessions or other usual venue stuff. I like the size of this venue and would enjoy seeing another show there anytime I am afforded the opportunity. It's as standing room only (or at least I assume it usually is) situation and they have a balcony that is 3 sided. I love watching shows from a balcony rail...so I'd likely pick that if possible. Way to go, Criterion, you have helped create a once in a lifetime experience by opening your doors to those bubble concerts! read more

The Criterion is an embarrassment to the OKC music scene. A tin can wrapped in a cheap brick facade. This "venue" is void of atmosphere with bad acoustics. As an avid live music fan, it bothers me that such great talent has to play in that place. I've seen three shows there. I love music too much to walk into that venue again. Tulsa, here I come. read more

This place is set up all wrong! The balcony seating is difficult to navigate through and no one to help you, so as you're fumbling around you're hoping to find your spot. The seats face into the center, rather than the stage, which is also all wrong! It's really difficult when the person next to you is pretty much sitting on top of you because her seat is facing one way and she is facing the stage. Also the people at the bar are very loud, so if your balcony seats are near the bar, you might not be able to hear the event properly! It's really just all sorts of wrong in there! read more

Smaller venue but that made the concert even better, we had general admission and the ground floor was nice. The bathrooms well maintained and easy layout for exits I noticed. Also during the concert Ems professionals had to respond to a few people passing out so the venue started passing out bottles of water I lost count at 10 cases it was a nice gesture to ensure patrons safety. read more

The Criterion - Music Venues Near Me - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

I just got "man handheld" for no reason. The bouncer even apologized because he realized he grabbed the wrong person. But he yanked my arm so hard that everything I had on my person scattered on floor. Seriously I wanna speak with the owner. They have cameras and this happened around 10:15 pm. I'm blown away that this sort of treatment is a-ok in downtown okc. Completely flabbergasted read more

The sound here is just terrible. I was excited to have a large enough venue in OKC to bring in bands that were doing stop overs from bigger tours. Which Criterion has been successful at! But unfortunately, unless you're pretty close to the stage the sound is terrible. And by terrible I mean, you can barely hear the band playing. I've been to 4 concerts here and the first I was close to the stage so I didn't quite realize how bad it was. But when I saw Lana Del Rey recently and I wished I hadn't spent the time or money. I love her and it was worse standing that close and not being able to hear the show. I'm not sure what you can do about it, but hopefully something. read more

Wasn't sure what to expect for this venue but it's the perfect place for a concert with excellent seating, easy to get to and ($25) parking just steps away. The Lindsey Sterling Christmas concert was exceptional! Beautiful costumes, fantastic sound and lights and her performance was perfect! read more

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Great drinks, and good shows! Balcony seating, left side of stage, good view to see everything. Had GA but you can go upstairs or downstairs for this show. read more

The venue setup is decent enough, however I went to see Kesha last night and saw a disturbing encounter. A trans woman went into the women's restroom as I was walking out. No patron was bothered or walked up to complain, but as I was walking out a "security" guard was walking to the bathroom very loudly exclaiming "I don't care what HE is wearing HE can't go into the women's bathroom".. at this point I was nosy and went back in the restroom.. the security guard proceeded to have the womens bathroom attendant POUND ON ALL THE STALL DOORS and kicked this poor woman out for no reason. Disgusting. Not an inclusive environment and I won't be returning to this venue again. This "security guard" went out of his way to single out a trans woman that most people wouldn't have even had a second thought about. Maybe do an actual security job instead of policing bathroom stalls from a threat that doesn't exist. I complained to one security guard who referred me to the "supervisor" who very clearly did not care since his response was a sarcastic "yeah I'll make a note of it". read more

I was so excited when this place opened a few years ago. I've been to countless events here and I thought the major issues they had would be worked out as time went on. Not the case. I've been to several concerts, gala events and even a business event here and have noticed several common issues: -Poor ventilation/air. Every concert is sweltering hot no matter where you go in the building. Even during winter months. And it's extremely difficult to get water or a cocktail because... -Limited bar staff causes really long lines. -Audio quality is poor. At every single event I've been to at the Criterion there have been audio issues and the overall quality is very poor for a concert venue. -Safety concerns. For a very large sold out show there seemed to only be 2 security staff, 1 downstairs and 1 upstairs. If something were to happen, I don't believe that's sufficient. I so badly wanted to see this place improve so I could write a better review but unfortunately they don't seem to be working on any of these issues. I now prefer to see an act at the next local location (winstar, Tulsa, Dallas, etc) over going to the Criterion. read more

As a Photographer i love shooting at The Criterion... I love that the space is easily configurable for concerts as well as other events like an Octagon arena or swanky charity events. Since I have some insider-info, I wanted to mention some things about the sound... the in-house sound engineers usually set up shows with great sound, but many times a band will bring in their own Sound Engineer... occasionally, when they do that, its not as great as when the venue sound-engineer sets it up... I walk all over the venue taking pictures and I notice this as much or more than anyone. Most times though the sound is on point, and the concerts are really enjoyable. Possibly only 2 or three concerts of over 40+ that i've shot there have had less than amazing sound. read more

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I'll admit it up front that I'm a HUGE fan of the Tower. I go to concerts there semi-regularly, so I am definitely biased. That being said, I expected a lot better from such a huge venue that hosts some big bands. The experience was pretty lackluster, and I don't know that I'll be returning. I went to see Hozier, one of my favorite bands, last night. I absolutely love their music, so I was thrilled to get to the show. As soon as we arrived and parked in a nearby lot, we realized that the line wrapping ALL the way around, back past the iHOP, was the line we needed to get into. Almost an hour later, we finally arrive in the venue, having missed almost the entire opening act. Good thing we didn't really come to see her, but how awful to know that half of your potential audience is still outside. While in the line, we were open season for beggars, children selling candy for "church" (FYI, they aren't, it is a scam, do NOT purchase from them), and a guitar player who was...an experience. I was not dressed for the cool breeze, and huddled against my boyfriend for warmth while we waited...and waited...and waited. We FINALLY reach the front door to discover it was essentially a security check point, and it was a REALLY bad one. I saw many people setting off the scanners but no one was actually checking them with wands or patting them down. They did check my purse, but what an absolute waste of time and really awful safety measures. Once we got in, we realized it is essentially just a massive warehouse. The view was...terrible. If you don't get there 3-4 hours early, you're at the back of the crowd, behind hundreds of people, hoping to catch a glimpse of a band you paid real dollars to see. There is no slant, no risers, nothing. It's all GA on the first floor. The only complement I can give is that they did frequently empty the trash cans. But I watched one of the can cleaners *shove* the can towards a crowd of people facing away. A person could have easily been injured. Finally, and what is probably the saddest part: the sound is AWFUL. I have been to many concerts at many venues, and here, it sounded muffled. It was so sad and disappointing, we ended up leaving early because all we could hear was muffled sounds. read more

I had higher hopes for this venue, but I never really been to a "standing only" concert so that's how this review is starting out. First concert I attend at The Criterion was "Megan thee stallion". When purchasing tickets, if there is an option to SKIP THE LINE I would highly recommend that option. Me and my friends were able to literally skip the line & head into the venue. From what I can recall, there weren't any food vendors -- that definitely put a damper on my plans. However that may be the standard when in a standing only / balcony seating arena or may vary performance to performance. Considering it's located downtown you have plenty food options prior to the events you attend. There was one bar section and of course standing I wasn't able to really see the artist perform. If you were any shorter than 5'5" you'll need to be as close to the stage as possible to get your money worth. The performance itself was decent, but the main guest didn't come until hours after the official concert start time which isn't the venues fault but being able not to see the performer and standing for a longer amount of time , I would really think long and hard before attending a concert here. That's just based in my preferences. The venue was not trashy and security help facilitate the lines well and answer questions. read more

Third time to The Criterion, and the last time. The other experiences, were ok to not to bad. Last night to see Granger Smith was my last. From the get go, standing in line outside the venue, petition person going up and down the line trying to get people to sign a petition on Oklahoma's prison judicial system. I barked back do the crime do the time. I say build more prisons, put people to work, or start executing them that need to be gone. Then Criterion staff going up and down the line barking rules while we're standing outside on a cold night. To the ridiculous way of people getting through the doors. Four lines of people merging into two lines just inside the door through security to a standing only event. Nice thing I will say they did provide us with chairs because of my bad knees. Then for drinks, one beer, one bottle of water, $12!!! I asked the guy, are your freaking kidding me?!!! I felt like the people running this place should be in prison for robbing people without a mask! The concert was pretty good. Then upon leaving getting stopped at the door. We couldn't leave with an open freaking bottle of water. What a stupid rule or law. So I threw the rest of that high dollar water in the trash while letting them know what I thought of their shitty rule. No worries, we will not be back. That venue is a joke. Worst place ever. Yes we know venues, going to 2-3 concerts a month. read more

I've been to 2 concerts here and I won't be returning. The first time we went to see Cody Jinks and it wasn't completely terrible but this was probably due to the fact it wasn't sold out. I'm short so being able to see was an issue. The floor is completely flat so unless you are tall or up front, expect to watch the entire show on the screen. Don't expect to be able to get drinks or go to the bathroom. You get so jam packed in there it's hard to get out much less find your way back. The beer was expensive and they only let you get two at time. So me and my boyfriend had to switch off standing in line for 20 min. The second time we saw Maren Morris and encountered the same issues. Couldn't see, lines for beer were ridiculous and over priced. I won't be returning even if Celine or Adele came to perform. read more

Saw Chapelle perform here a few years ago. The show was pretty awful since it was barely 30 minutes long, but that is not the venues fault. What was their fault was the terribly unfriendly staff and terrible tasting drinks. I fondly remember buying a $13 drink, handing over a $20 bill and never getting change. Most expensive watery gin and soda I ever bought. Do better. read more

Not the type of place you want to go if you dropped $400 on a show, drove out of state for it and then they won't even let you in

Bar service is slow as hell, missed a whole set waiting on a beer. Took an average of 2 1/2 minutes per person in the beer line. If you don't drink it will be great for you read more

I've been to the criterion several times and had great experiences, however, I recently went to see Rex Orange County and was left very disappointed. Fine, the drinks are expensive, it's a concert venue who cares. But they said they'd be having an umbrella/coat check online, so I get there, and check my coat and umbrella. Apparently it's a fire hazard to have all of these coats and umbrellas in the venue, so what do they do? Do they make an announcement to the crowd that they can't actually accommodate and we need to hold our things? What are the odds they actually knew this ahead of time, and still advertised a coat check? So we get out of the concert, and they've thrown everyone's umbrellas and coats in big hasty piles to be trampled by the crowd walking outside. My impossible to find raincoat that I searched 2 years for, and it's matching umbrella are gone. Nowhere to be seen, and the umbrella is probably broken at this point anyway. Not to mention, I had just bought the umbrella the day before to replace my old one. I would have suffered the rain if I had known!!! I planned this months in advance because I'm on a tight budget and I don't have money to replace that raincoat. Screw them for advertising a fake coat check. They simply could just, not do that. read more

The experience was just okay. Went to see Death Cab after having seen them a few months ago in Dallas. The sound quality at the Criterion as compared to The Bomb Factory in Dallas was very poor. We had tickets for general admission which comprised the entire first floor. I'm taller than average, so I was able to see okay, but a lot of people had a really tough time. The beer was insanely over priced, warm, and the selection was crap. The place was relatively clean. We had to park several blocks away, but that's the burden of Bricktown, I guess. I would go back if I really wanted to see the band, but I'd prefer seeing them elsewhere. read more

If the concert is scheduled at 8pm, you can not announce at 7:50 that you have changed the start time to 6:50. You can not start the second band a full 10 minutes before the first band was supposed to start, and expect repeat business. EDIT: Criterion is reaching out and trying to make this right for those affected. While I still don't get my 'awesome night' back, this kind of personal touch is unusual in a venue this size. read more

Firstly, the venue is typical of venues, and the Interpol and Spoon show both went well, but this is about the way i was treated by staff. As usual, at the door, we were all forced to empty our pockets and walk through a metal detector. I happened to bring a tiny multi-tool. There is ZERO mention on the website that such a tiny thing would be prohibited, so while I am having $40 stolen from me at the door because I ubered there and already spent quite a bit of money to be there, they say they can "hold it for me" for an extra $10 and the guy with the wand had the nerve to rush me. Will be avoiding this venue. read more

Terrible venue for a comedy show. Comedians are up on stage performing and here I am with my $75 ticket seat with the venue staff being extremely loud and rude the entire show. They have about 20 security basically kids, just walking about dragging their feet and talking and moving stuff around the entire time. Yes, they're supposed to walk around and patrol, but does your venue not understand how a comedy show works? 4 security people were standing there talking and scooting a trash can around right behind me the entire set. Garbage venue read more

My first time to the Criterion and certainly won't be the last. This Venue is huge and very clean. Not knowing what to expect I thought I was going to get a reserved seat, however, it is standing only. This was not a problem for me nor for anyone else that I could see. A good time was being had by all. Upon arrival we found that the staff of The Critereon could not have been friendlier. They did their jobs of checking our ID's and banding us so we could purchase alcohol, security checks and taking our tickets. In that short amount of time several of the staff got to know me and remembered me even to the time we were leaving the venue. Awesome. As I said, the place is huge inside. It's fund to just walk around inside. There was two vendor's booth's this night. One for T-shirts and the other one giving out free High Energy drinks. The bathrooms are very nice and clean as well. I didn't go upstairs but it looks like a really nice place up there. As the show started I found the music quality was excellent. I rather liked it when the drummer was playing and the walls were vibrating and shaking. And the light show that they can provide. Oh my. It's a sweet experience and I look forward to seeing many more concerts here. read more

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My wife and I attended the BuckCherry show on 7/21 a band I've seen 5 times live so I'm intimately familiar with how they sound live. 1. The wireless mike for vocals kept dropping out. 2. The mix was overly bass heavy the kick drum and Bass guitarist totally dominated the mix. 3 the lead and rhythm guitar were so muddy and down in the mix to be indiscernible from each other 4. The interior is all concrete and steel so very echoey This venue has so much potential but..... Until they do something to fix their sound quality problems I don't know if it's the mixer or the sound system or both but please realize a hard rock show mixes different from a hip hop show. I was looking over the sound engineers shoulder towards the end of the show and most of the problem is there The EQ curve was very over blown in sub bass and mid bass too many dips in mid to upper midrange As to make a mud pie out of vocals and lead and rhythm guitar. I suspect the sound engineer is the same one that infuriated Jim Heath at the last Reverend Horton Heat show at the Farmers Market over the crappy mix Please oh Please correct these issues we need have legendary small venues to attract the best talent if you want to be an also ran keep it up but OKC needs its own Cain's Ballroom read more

I love love love The Criterion. I've been here 3 times for concerts and it's the best small concert venue in OKC. I prefer it over the farmers market because it's a little more upscale and convenient. There's plenty of parking nearby and it's right next to all the cubs and bars in downtown. You can easily get dinner before the concert and afterwards, there's plenty of night life around so that you don't have to worry about getting a ride or deciding what to after the concert. The actual venue is pretty spacious. It's open floor and there's an upstairs section. The stage is awesome and every concert that I've been to here looks amazing. The bar is pretty big and there's multiple bartenders making drinks so wait times are really not too bad. read more